Doorlatch



March 12, 1935. A. v. HENST 1, 9 4

DOORLATCH Filed, Sept. 11 193s v IN VEN TOR. Hi/7&4; 74775277392752.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 12, 1935 PATENT OFFICE DOOBLATCH Abraham Vander Henst, Grand Rapids, Mich.,

assignor to W. B. Jarvis Company, a corporation of Michigan Application September 11, 1933, Serial No. 688,930

6 Claims.

w means therefor whereby the handle can be readily fixed in mounted position and released by complete removal from the door by simple operation, a handle which can be mounted in position Without outwardly visible attaching means, mounting means whereby the door latch mechanism will be securely mounted in position by a cam action of the parts which completely prevents rattling or looseness, and a mechanism which has a minimum of parts, is eficient in design and economical to manufacture.

'Many other objects and advantages of my invention will readily become apparent' throughout a reading of the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an automotive vehicle body door illustrating the improved door latch and mounting means of my invention, parts being broken away to illustrate certain details more clearly.

Fig. 2 is across-sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 with the door handle shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the door handle .shown in 40 elevation.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the improved device of my invention taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the slidable locking plate which forms a part of the device of my invention, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the flanged sleeve formed integral with the escutcheon plate which is broken away in this view.

Referring now to the drawing in detail in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, I have shown in Fig. 1 a fragmentary portion of a door panel 8 with the slidable latch bolt 9 such as is well known in the art which is adapted to be drawn forwardly by a spring 11 in a well known manner and retired My invention relates to improvements in door by a rollback 12 acting against an abutment 13 formed. at the rear of the bolt, the rollback 12 being actuated by a lever 14. The bolt may also be retired by means of a handle rollback 15 coacting with an abutment 16 located near the forward end of the bolt. The rollback 15 is adapted to be turned by the usual handle 1'7 arranged outside the door and provided with a squared spindle 18 fitting within the hub of the rollback 15 for the purpose of turning it. An escutcheon plate 20 is rotatably mounted on the shank 21 of the handle 17, and the handle and escutcheon plate are locked in rotatable assembled relationship as will hereinafter be described. All of the above is-standard design and well known in the art.

Prior to my present invention and that disclosed in my copending application above referred to, in one conventional practice bolts are employed for securing the escutcheon plate and attached handle assembly to the door, and when it is desired to remove the handle assembly, it is necessary to partially remove the interior trim on the door to gain access to the nuts cooperating with the bolts on the inside of the door panel, which is an expensive operation from the standpoint of labor and time. According to another conventional practice, the escutcheon plate is not secured to the door but the handle assembly is secured in place by fixing the spindle to the latch assembly and in such construction both the escutcheon plate and handle assembly are subject to play and rattling and the some disadvantages are present in the removal of the handle assembly as in the previously described practice.

In accordance with my present invention, im-

proved means is provided for securing the handle assembly in position relative to the door so that the handle assembly may be quickly and easily applied to or removed from the door without disturbing the interior trim of the door, which means does not employ outwardly visible attaching devices such as screws or bolts, and which efiectively prevents rattling of the parts.

The securing means of my present invention includes a movable plate on the inside of the door panel which has a keyhole type opening therein and a sleeve attached to or formed integral with the escutcheon plate having an enlargement or flange on the inner end thereof, the door panel being provided with a suitable opening to permit cooperation of the sleeve member of the escutcheon plate with the keyhole opening of the slidable member on the inner side of the door panel and. means is provided for moving the slidable member to cause it to interlock with the sleeve member of the escutcheon plate to fix the escutcheon plate on the door.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawing, it will be noted that a plate 22 is fixed in a depression 23 formed in the inner face of the escutcheon plate 20 by welding, screws, or in any other desirable manner. A sleeve 25 adapted to surround the handle shank 21 is formed integral with the plate 22 and has a flange 26 formed on its end which is of oval form projecting outwardly beyond the outer contour of the sleeve at diametrically opposed points thereof. This sleeve is clearly shown in the detailed perspective view of Fig. 6. The flange 26 is embossed at 27 at diametrically opposed points to form a projecting ridge on the underside of the flange for a purpose which will be hereinafter described. A flanged collar 28 surrounds the end of the handle shank 21 and is fixed thereto to retain the escutcheon plate 20 with its flanged sleeve 25 in rotatable relation upon the.

' handle shank 21 and prevent removal of the shank 21 from the sleeve 25. A suitable spring 29 surrounds the shank 21 and is interposed between the flange of the collar 28 and the end of the sleeve 25 to prevent rattling of the parts. A pair of outwardly struck lugs 30 areformed in the plate 22 of the escutcheon 20 and are adapted to project 'through openings 31 provided in the door panel therefor. These lugs 30 serve to align the escutcheon and handle assembly in proper position in the door panel. An oval shaped opening 32 is provided inthe door panel between the lug openings 31 to permit insertion of the door handle assembly, including the sleeve 25 and its outwardly extending oval flange 26, through the door panel.

The hereinabove described portion of my invention constitutes the handle, latch operating and escutcheon unit of my invention and is assembled as hereinabove described prior to insertion in the opening 32 of the door panel.

The movable portion of my device or retaining unit consists of a slidable locking plate 35 which is mounted on the inside of the door panel 8 for engaging the handle assembly and retaining it in position on the door panel and in engagement with the rollback mechanism. This plate is clearly illustrated in perspective in Fig. 5 and has a centrally disposed keyhole type opening therein comprising an oval shaped aperture 36 at one end thereof, the dimensions of which are slightly larger than the outer periphery of the flanged end 26 of the sleeve 25 of the handle assembly, and the shape of which is complementary to the oval flange 26, to permit this flanged end to readily pass therethrough. This opening communicates with a narrower opening 3'7, which is disposed near the center of the plate 35 in the modification illustrated in the drawing and which opening is of lesser width than the flange 26 of the sleeve 25 but is wide enough to accommodate the sleeve 25. A longitudinally extending slot 38 extends from the opening 3'1 lengthwise of the plate 35 towards the end opposite the opening 36. One end of the plate 35 is bent to form an upstanding angle member 39 having a boss 40 formed thereon with a screw threaded bore 41 extending therethrough. The side 10 of the door panel 8 has a countersunk aperture 42 formed therein in alignment with the screw threaded bore 41 of the upstanding angle a member 39 and a retaining screw 43 is disposed in the countersunk aperture 42 and screw threaded in the :bore 41. One or more of such screws may be employed.

A headed stud'45 projects inwardly of the door panel 8 and is fixed thereto by riveting or in any other suitable desirable manner. The stud 45 extends through the slot 38 of the plate 35 whereby the plate is held in slidable engagement with said stud, the head of the stud 45 overlyirTgthe edges of the slot 38 to slidably retain it against the door panel. A disc spring washer 46 surrounds the stud 45 and is interposed between the inner side of the door panel 8 and the slidable plate 35, the spring extending beyond and underlying the edges of the slot 38 to urge the slidable plate outwardly and to automatically take up any play or loosenss that may be present in the initial assembly or which may develop in the use of the device.

The plate 35 is thus slidably mounted on the inner side of the door panel and a turning of the screw. 43 in one direction will cause the plate 30 to slide upon the stud 45 and be drawn toward the edge 10 of the door and likewise turning of the screw in the opposite direction and exerting an inwardly directed force on the head of the screw will cause the plate 35 to slide away from the edge of the door. In other words, the plate 35 may be shifted to the right or to the left within the limited degree necessary by means of the screw-13. The mounting of the plate 35 is so arranged that the keyhole shaped opening therein is disposed with the large oval portion 36 thereof in align- I ment with the oval opening 32 of the door panel when the plate 35 is slid near the limit of its movement away from the edge 10 of the door. Likewise, when the plate 35 is slid near the limit of its movement toward the edge 10 of the door the restricted portion 37 of the keyhole opening will then be in alignment with the opening 32 of the door panel.

It will be noted that the projecting flange 26 of the sleeve 25 is disposed inwardly of the door panel and plate 35 in spaced relation therefrom when the handle shaft assembly is inserted in the door opening 32 with the escutcheon abutting the outer surface of the door panel. Cam means is provided on the slidable plate 35 to slidably engage the depending embossed ridge portions 27 formed on the underside of the projecting flange 26 and to thereby draw the escutcheon and handle assembly securely in position against the door panel and to lock and retain it in this position. This cam means comprises raised portions 50 which are formed on the plate 35 on opposite sides of the opening 37 thereof and have an inclined surface 51 extending towards the end of the plate in which the oval shaped opening 36 is formed. The raised portions 50 are formed 7 on the side of the plate 35 which is disposed inwardly of the door panel, as shown in Fig. 3, and are adapted to underly and to engage the projecting ridge portions 27 formed on the under- 29 surrounding the handle shank 21, between thefiang'ed collar 28 and the flange 26. will be compressed by this cam action insuring a snug fit and prevention of any rattling.

To remove the door handle and escutcheon plate assembly it is only necessary to rotate and force inwardly the screw 43 in the desired direction to cause the plate 35 to slide away from the edge 10 of the door panel, until the oval shaped opening 36 is brought into registryand alignment with the oval shaped flange 26 of the handle assembly and the raised portions 50 of the plate are slid out of locking engagement with the underside of the flange 26, to permit withdrawal of the handle.

The cam raising and lockingaction of the device of my herein described invention which is caused when the raised cam portions 50 of the sliding plate are drawn under the inwardly extending portions 27 of the flange 26 of the handle assembly causes a secure connection of the parts and forms a strong and rattle-proof mounting.

It will be noted that in the device of my present invention an annular escutcheon plate ofreduced dimensions may be employed if desired since the locking action is effected on approximately the center line of the handle shaft assembly. The actuating screw is readily accessible at the side edge of the door frame when the door is open and this single control means provides for ease of mounting and dismounting the door latch handle and escutcheon assembly.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the, invention described without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A door latch handle assembly and means to mount said assembly on a door panel including a slidable cam plate disposed on the inner side of the door panel and a raised cam surface on said plate adapted to interlockingly engage the handle assembly.

2. In combination, a door latch handle assembly having a handle shank and an escutcheon rotatably mounted thereon, a sleeve surrounding said handle shank and fixed to the escutcheon, said sleeve having a flange formed on its outer end thereof, means to retain the escutcheon and said sleeve on the handle shank, an apertured door panel adapted to receive the sleeved portion of the handle assembly with the escutcheon engaging the outer side of the door panel, a plate slidably mounted on the inner side of the door panel having an opening therein adapted to receive the flange of the escutcheon sleeve near one end of said plate, said opening being reduced near the center of said plate to accommodate only the sleeve of said escutcheon and means to slide said plate on the inner side of the door panel to cause the edges of the plate opposite the reduced portion of the opening to underly the flange of said sleeve.

3. In combination, a door latch handle asapertured door pwel, a pair of raised cam surfaces formed in the slidable plate, disposed on opposite sides of the keyhole opening, and adapted to slidably engage the boss formed on the under-' side of the flange of the handle sleeve and means disposed in the outer edge of the door panel to cause said plate to slide.

4. In combination, a door latch handle assemblyincluding an escutcheon plate having a pair of locating members projecting outwardly therefrom, a sleeve associated with said escutcheon having an integral flange formed on its outer end surrounding the shank of the handle assembly, a door panel apertured to receive the flange of said sleeve and the locating members of said escutcheon, a slidable plate mounted on the inner side of said door panel having an opening therein adapted to receive the flange of the escutcheon sleeve and a restricted opening therein the side edges of which are adapted to receive said sleeve and to underly the flange thereof, and a pair of raised cam surfaces formed in said slidable plate opposite said restricted opening adapted to interlockingly engage the underside of the flange of said sleeve.

5. A door latch handle assembly comprising a handle having a shank portion, an escutcheon element Journaled on said shank portion and having a flanged sleeve fixed thereto, and a slide member having an opening therein, said opening being reduced in width at one end thereof whereby the assembly may be mounted on an apertured door panel with the escutcheon element engaging one face of the paneland the slide member e ng the other side of the panel and the. portion of the slide member adjacent the narrow part of the opening therein engaging the flange on said sleeve to retain the handle assembly on said panel.

6. In combination, a door latch handle assembly including an escutcheon having a flanged sleeve integral therewith, said sleeve surrounding the shank of said handle, an apertured door panel adapted to receive said sleeve with the ABRAHAM VANDER HENST. 

